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Eat These 3 Healthy Weight Loss Foods Every Day (Diet Assignment)

Posted by: Ed Scow, aka 'The Fit Dad' | Comments

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

I have another assignment for you in the diet department and I’m going to ask you to add a few foods to your daily diet, rather than going negative and asking you to remove certain foods.

I have a general philosophy that it’s easier to succeed, not only in the short-term, but the long-term as well, if you switch your focus from removing negative foods and behaviors to adding good foods and behaviors.

By that I mean it’s better to focus on the addition of fiber-rich vegetables, rather than focusing on the removal of processed foods.

It’s more constructive to focus on the addition of weight loss foods with healthy fats like avocado or walnuts, rather than focusing on the removal of bad snack foods.

On the workout front, it’s better to focus on the addition of quick and intense workouts a few days per week (that you know you’ll do) rather than the removal of laziness OR the addition of unrealistic workout programs that don’t work with your busy lifestyle.

The result is often the same no matter your focus – removal of crap, addition of good – but the mindset shift is what’s important. It’s always better to keep your focus on the addition of positive, rather than the removal negative.

So going with that…

I want you to add the following 3 Healthy Weight Loss Foods to your daily diet this week.

Categories : Fat Fighting Foods, Fat Loss for Men, fat loss for women, fat loss nutrition, social support

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Is It Worth It To Buy Organic Food and Other Diet and Workout Questions

Posted by: Ed Scow, aka 'The Fit Dad' | Comments

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Another week and another round of email questions!

I have some good ones for you this week, so I’ll cut the chit-chat and get on with the show!

blueberries are a great healthy skin food

I also have to be honest…the one that asks “Is it worth it to buy organic food?” was actually phrased a bit more, shall we say, crass? I’m protecting the identity of my client that asked, but during our conversation she said she was freaked at the thought of her food “being covered in shit” and I had to assure her that her organic produce was not swimming in animal feces.

Okay, now on with the show!

Q: “You have mentioned a couple times over the past couple weeks about foods and skin quality. What does that mean?” – Kathy

A: I have mentioned that a couple times and I think it’s important to note.

Poor quality foods lead to bad skin.

Bad fats, processed junk and limited real foods lead to dry, flaky skin. It also leads to wrinkles, sleepy eyes and a pale complexion.

Sounds good, right?

On the flip side, if you limit the processed stuff and make sure to eat lots of produce, and specifically berries, broccoli and papaya, you’ll enjoy healthier, stronger and more toned skin.

Add healthy fats to the mix and you’ll moisturize your skin from the inside out. I actually make a conscious effort to increase my intake of healthy fats in the winter months because it’s so dang dry and my poor skin gets all dry and I hate it.

Thanks Kathy! Great question.

Q: “What do you think of suspension trainers?” – Tony

Categories : Fat Fighting Foods, Fat Loss for Men, fat loss for women, fat loss nutrition, videos

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2 Healthy Dessert Recipes and How To Eat Dessert AND Lose Weight

Posted by: Ed Scow, aka 'The Fit Dad' | Comments

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

You like dessert, right? healthy dessert recipes don't have to mean death!

Who doesn’t like dessert?

Okay, I know a few people who are adament they do not like dessert, but I think they’re crazy.

Personally I love a good piece of cheesecake or REAL ice cream.

My philosophy is that if you’re going to do dessert, then DO dessert. Get the good stuff that’s made from REAL food…don’t get the low-cal/no fat stuff in an effort to lessen the calorie blow.

I’ll share how to do that and get away with it at the end of this message, but first, let’s go over a couple simple and healthy dessert recipes.

First we have one of my absolute FAVORITES!

Categories : Fat Fighting Foods, Fat Loss for Men, fat loss for women, fat loss nutrition

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3 Healthy High Fat Foods To Eat Regularly?

Posted by: Ed Scow, aka 'The Fit Dad' | Comments

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Do you eat fat?

I know the common thought is to cut out fat if you want to lose fat (makes sense in the noggin), even in this day and age where more and more folks are telling you there are healthy high fat foods.

I want to make a distinction before we get into this whole high fat thing…

High fat does NOT necessarily mean high TOTAL calories.

Yes, high fat foods are higher in calories than foods rich in carbs or protein (9 cals per gram vs. 4), but that does NOT mean you need to eat more calories than your body needs.

Is that confusing?

The reason I mention that is because, due to more attention being placed on diet, the notion that high fat equals high total calories is a pretty commonly held belief, when it’s not necessarily true.

For instance, I currently eat a lot of fat in the form of peanut butter, almonds, cashews and seeds, and eat avocado whenever it fits the meal (I’m not eating slices of avocado as a snack!).

This does NOT mean I’m eating too many calories and sure as hell doesn’t mean I’m going to get fat.

Actually, the opposite is happening and will continue happening – I will lose fat.

No reason for this picture...

Not only will fat fall off the body, but my hair will look better (always important), my skin will be healthier and good things will happen on a hormonal level.

High fat does NOT necessarily mean unhealthy, either.

Too much saturated fat, especially in the form of commercially raised animal products, is bad as are Trans Fats.

Fats found from perverted foods are also bad. This means honey-roasted nuts are not “healthy.” Nor are olives found on a calorie-packed greasy deep-dish pizza.

Capiche?

Okay, now let’s get to the list of 3 Healthy High Fat Foods! Read More→

Categories : Fat Fighting Foods, Fat Loss for Men, fat loss for women, fat loss nutrition

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Q&A – How To Make Weight Loss Stick and Workout Videos

Posted by: Ed Scow, aka 'The Fit Dad' | Comments

Saturday, January 7th, 2012

It’s Saturday and you know what that means?

Oh, you don’t? Well in my house it means…it’s Saturday.

I know I’m a boring dude, but we have a 5-year old and 10-month old and it’s January in Nebraska. Not exactly conducive to living an exciting life!

I kid. I love my life and wouldn’t change it for anything and the fact that Nolan is getting closer to walking everyday scares the bejesus out of me because I know I’ll have to somehow make eyes grow all around my head, or do some crazy flexibility work on my neck to be able to turn it 360 degrees like an owl to keep an eye on that little daredevil.

At least he has his sister to keep an eye on him…although that could be worse!

Anywho, I received some great emails over the last couple weeks (most specifically about weight loss) and I want to share a couple of them with you today in the form of a little Q&A.

So without further ado, let’s get this Weight Loss Q&A party started!

1. “You mentioned in a post earlier this week you don’t like commercial snack or protein bars, but never said why. So why don’t you like ‘em smarty pants? I need to lose weight and rely heavily on the things.” – Jane

The main reason I don’t like most snack or protein bars is because many are glorified candy bars and don’t do much in the way of weight loss.

They use sub-standard ingredients, pass it off as “healthy” and lead you to believe you can lose weight by snacking on the thing 1 or 2 times per day.

About 5 years ago, the most popular protein bar on the market, that you could purchase everywhere from gas stations to health clubs to giant warehouse stores, boasted that it tasted like a Snickers bar and it really, truthfully did taste like a candy bar and people loved it.

It flew off the shelf like crazy because it tasted so good and it was assumed to be healthy because it was a “protein bar.”

You know what? A company that independently tests supplements ran a test and found the reason it tasted so good was because it really was a candy bar. They flat out lied on the label about how much protein and sugar were in the bar.

It tasted like a Snickers bar because it was virtually the same thing, except it was more expensive and had MORE calories.

Holy cow!!

It’s incredibly difficult to make a good tasting, and truly healthy, snack bar or protein bar and produce it on a huge level. Corners usually need to be cut, or if they’re not, and it truly is a decent bar, it’s usually a bit on the expensive side, but because the weight loss market is so HUGE, unscrupulous business people get involved.

Having said that, I do enjoy a Cliff bar from time-to-time and they seem to be one of the good guys.

So you can find good snack bars, but you have to pay attention – NEVER trust the front label, always flip it around and read the ingredients and calorie breakdown and do a bit of research, otherwise you’ll find yourself eating a glorified candy bar and wondering why you’re gaining weight rather than losing.

2. “I’ve tried diets in the past and had mixed results with my weight loss (lots of yo-yo). Why is it that every New Year’s I make resolutions, try a diet or workout program and maybe see some results, but then fall into the same rut? Why can’t I make anything stick?” – Jennifer

I don’t know why. If I knew the answer to that I’d be in the fitness/ weight loss business…

…Oh yeah! I am! Woo-hoo!

The answer varies from person-to-person and can be as simple as choosing programs that are set-up to make you fail. I seriously think there are programs out there that are designed to make you fail so that they can turn around and try to sell you something “new” 6 or 12 months down the road. It’s truly all about marketing and it drives me crazy.

For instance, right now on the radio I am hearing commercials for the “most effective fat burner,” and it makes me crazy because just a few months ago this same company advertised essentially the same thing, but with a different “twist.”

So that could be one reason, but I knew the person who sent this email and the answer she needed wasn’t determined by whiz-bang supplements, rather it was more mental and most who struggle to find a “happy zone” with weight loss fall into this category and the answer is two-fold.

One, there’s not a strong enough “reason why,” and their reason for eating is wrong.

If you truly want to make a change and lose weight, you have to find an incredibly strong “Reason Why” and it can’t be wimpy.

It can’t be something like “I want to lose 10 pounds in a month” because that won’t cut it. If you’re trying to make a positive change that lasts a lifetime, a change that won’t leave you in the same position in the next 6 months or a year, you have to dig down deep and find out what makes you tick…

…This “Reason Why” has to be strong.

For instance, the person who wrote that email loves her kids more than anything and has a bad family history of heart ailments and cancer and she needs to lose about 30 pounds – intelligently – otherwise she may fall prey to the same issues.

That is her Reason Why, but for most, including her, the health issues aren’t strong enough because they’re not really visible – especially if there’s no issue right now. So I told her that her kids had to be her Reason Why and I also knew she loved to hang by the pool in the summer, so I used the next 4 months as her guide.

I told her to focus on her kids as her big Reason Why (being a good role model and having the energy to keep up), but also to think about fitting into a smaller swimsuit so she doesn’t feel self-conscious at the pool.

Is that vain? Sure, but who cares. It’s important to HER, and will help her lose weight, and it’s important to a lot of us and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a little vanity, although it can NOT be the BIG Reason Why because it usually leads to unhealthy decisions and habits that won’t “stick.

I told her to be active with her kids – get out and run around with them, play games, play sports AND to be a positive eating role model so her kids won’t struggle as they age with health issues or weight concerns.

As parents, it’s our responsibility to be the lead role models when it comes to eating meals and snack and it’s not enough to tell our kids to “eat this…” while we eat and drink crap.

They follow our lead and they’re smart enough to realize that they don’t have to do something YOU won’t do yourself.

Obviously that’s just the beginning of my answer to her and I had some other things to share as well, including workouts and nutrition information, but that’s a secret (unless you’re a member of my super-secret club!).

3. “Any workouts to share with me workout dude?” – Sam

Yes, the workout dude does have some workout stuff. I’m still tinkering with this whole Fusion Conditioning thing and in case you missed it, you should really check out the workout video I gave you a couple weeks ago.

To check it out, head to –> Fusion Conditioning Fat Loss Workout Video

Click here –> weight loss for another workout video…and it’s a 10-minute workout video (of course!!).

It’s an awesome example of what I’ve been working on lately and it’s incredibly effective. It’s bananas.

That’s all I have for you today. I’ll be back next week with more good stuff to help with your weight loss goals and workout programs!

Same Bat-Time…Same Bat-Channel!

Later,

P.S. – don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions. I’m here to help and will do whatever I can to help you reach your goals!

Categories : Fat Fighting Foods, Fat Loss for Men, fat loss for women, fat loss nutrition, fat loss workouts, Motivation, social support

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3 Post Workout Snacks To Maximize Fat Loss

Posted by: Ed Scow, aka 'The Fit Dad' | Comments

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Do you typically eat post workout snacks?

If not, you should seriously consider it.

Why? Because after your workout, your body is literally screaming for nutrition. Okay, maybe not “literally screaming,” but if your muscles somehow attained the ability to speak they would politely tell you, in the most gentile English accent, that they would really enjoy some nourishment so that they may replenish their energy stores, build themselves just a wee bit stronger and help you burn more stored fat.

I imagine my muscles sounding like a character from a Monty Python movie when they politely, although with a bit of sarcasm and haughtiness, tell me to eat, eat, eat.

Maybe it’s just the caffeine talking, but I feel as though I’m getting off track so let’s jump off the crazy train and back on the post workout snacking train.

In all seriousness, I do think you should eat a healthy snack within 30-45 minutes after your workout because it does help and your body does crave the nutrition in that “window” of time.

There are a couple rules I have for post workout snacking and they include:

1. They must be high protein (although not high calorie). Protein is your muscles’ building block and this snack should be relatively high in protein.

2. Must be REAL food. Processed snack foods don’t count as I don’t consider them to be real foods. This includes highly processed “snack” or “protein” bars.

3. Must have quality carbohydrates. Consuming carbohydrates around your workout time is a must. Before the workout, they provide energy and post-workout they provide energy for rebuilding. Post-workout is not a time to go low-carb.

Having said all that, let’s jump into a few easy post workout snacks… Read More→

Categories : Fat Fighting Foods, Fat Loss for Men, fat loss for women, fat loss nutrition

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3 Great Evening Snacks For Weight Loss

Posted by: Ed Scow, aka 'The Fit Dad' | Comments

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

Finding healthy evening snacks for weight loss can be a tricky thing.

For years there was no shortage of experts and gurus instructing you not to east past a certain magical hour lest your body hoard those calories and instantly increase the size of your waist by 800 inches, but, thankfully, the times have changed (for most folks anyway).

Eating a snack in the evening, after dinner, can be done and you can still lose weight…

…BUT you have to know what to eat and you have to understand there is a limit to the amount of calories you consume, no matter what the food is.

That may seem overly simplistic and a bit too obvious, but you can get into dangerous territory with evening snacking because it’s late in the day and you’ve already had a full day of eating and activity (or lack thereof) which can throw a wrench into your weight loss efforts.

So if you’ve already consumed a lot of calories for the day, snacking in the evening isn’t the best idea.

If you’ve “cheated” today and splurged on a meal or two, then having a snack after dinner isn’t the great idea.

However, if you ate well, and have a craving for a bit more food, and want to eat something healthy (that also satisfies the sweet cravings), read on and give these snacks a try AND still lose weight!